there are many many 1* reviews here which seem to do with the proprietor. speaking for myself,…read morejust the pass'n tru life kind, this is one of those indescribably essential places YOU MUST NOT MISS. outside of course you're drawn in by the odd assemblage of moose statues, and of course maybe even wonder whatup with this. of course you realize that moose are seen here now and then, wanderers likely on a pilgrimage from their native area in the adirondack region. but it's easily dismissed unless you reflect on what may be inside the building. in my case, i drove past it maybe a quarter mile before realizing what i was about to miss... true rural americana, eccentric in all manner and aspects. i turned around, of course. the property is littered with all manner of handmade replicas of whatever, though i don't recall any of those wind-driven whirligigs, ever popular among the natives here. i took a few pics to add to the pile though really a camera doesn't do this place justice. if you're tempted to park in a veterans only spot, correct your attitude unless you qualify: show some respect, willya? i needed something to justify my going inside, and figured i'd buy some apple cider donuts, a few to keep me company. i was on a long drive west to the thousand islands where i was headed to stay with a friend in his cabin on oak island, and as grocery stores are scarce there i had to bring something to eat. i bought a dozen, they were a bit stale but then i prefer stale donuts. now the personal touch here ain't too gentle. the old man is crusty, but even crustier is his son, or so i assume he must be. one or both seem to have picked up a little limp along the way possibly as result of military service. whtever the case, only a dedicated first degree relative would be able to handle this job working with the old man. inside the place, there is every conceivable knick-knack ("small worthless objects, especially household ornaments" oxford online dictionary says) that exists, most made in the usa. for some reason though the vibe here isn't real welcoming so if you want to browse around, be sure to make it seem that you are looking for SOMETHING in particular. probably though nobody will give you a second glance until you begin to make your exit. i suppose there was a time when the place was visited by some hapless shoplifter, at least that might explain the lack of friendliness here. if so, i suspect he never came back after being treated to the wrath of these guys. and really, what is there here that anybody might want badly enough that they'd risk stealing rather than pay the man his $10. hell just walking around this assemblage of stuff is worth that as price of admission. i say give the old man and his son a break, they seem at heart nice enough men, just need to get their ashes hauled now and then.

Beth W. Review-you are wrong. My husband and I were present when this incident occurred. Your…read morehusband was asked 3 times to move his car and he became combative and was nasty and the owner was having none of it in front of the patrons. I also saw when customers were coming in that he said some nasty things about the owner. I have been a customer for about 18 yrs. This is always my first stop before heading to Manchester Vt every year and they are the nicest family-always very happy to see returning customers as a well as new ones. Very sad that you had to make a statement at the end of your review about politics-when that had absolutely nothing to do with the incident. Well you missed out on all the great local goods that the store offers to their loved customers. Yelping is a great way to serve the communities-keep it civil. Best~

One of my all-time favorite bookstores!…read more As you're walking along the street, you may notice a sandwich board with a pointer finger directing you upstairs in a building in downtown Bennington. This is your best indicator that they're open. Otherwise you might not notice this hidden gem because it's upstairs in an office building. But as soon as you make it through the door, you won't regret having come! It's clear to see that these guys have a good time with their shop. There are labels for sections and parts of the store that could only grow out of fondness, like "The Cave" for the small little room that sits next to the check-out desk, where the psychology and sci-fi books are housed. Love the combo. Or "The Treasure Chest" for overflow books, so varied and ever changing, that you never know what you might find. They have an ever-changing new arrivals section, displaying some of the more popular current novels, which is a great place to look for recommendations. They also have a great children's section, with old readers from quite a while back. Their foreign language section is pretty limited, but that's the case with most bookstores. There were some beautiful old books in German last time I was there. They have a great new england and Vermont section, though I can't admit to having browsed it very thoroughly. Amazingly, they also order books for you if they don't have something. A very kind service. It's worth a visit to this wonderful used bookstore. It's surprisingly large, and full of a huge variety of books.

Stopped here on my way home from Manchester to CT and the door was locked although by the hours…read moreposted on the website they we're suppose to open. Called the phone number and got a non-descript answering machine. Too bad, was looking forward to making some new discoveries. Not sure when I'll be back in the area, but based on what the previous reviewer had to say, I image this one star review will be revised to a 4 or 5 star.

We met Lorraine and Brent Newell when we spent a summer in West Wardsboro and are now obsessed with…read moretheir bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. There's no alcohol in the maple syrup, but the maple syrup is aged in bourbon barrels giving them a deliciously strong aroma that is bound to delight any whisky or bourbon fan. We heard today that Brent is getting a new sugar house. The old one was in need of repairs. I'm excited to see what he is able to produce in his new sugar house. Lorraine also does a tremendous job curating her store and bringing together very cute Vermont-themed or country home themed items. It's easy to find a gift for anyone here. They even have some wooden marble toys in the back to entertain your kid while you shop.

Wow what a great little shop !!! The owner Lorraine is so helpful and sweet. We picked up some…read morelocal soaps and found an awesome serving tray. Not to mention her husband provides the shop with some amazing Maple Syrup! Had to get some as you cannot have pancakes Sunday morning without VT Maple Syrup! We will definitely be stopping by again when we come back from going to Stratton Mountain.

This was the cutest boutique! So many rooms to explore and choose from! Can't wait to visit again…read morewhen I'm in the area!

This is an adorable local, woman-owned boutique under new ownership! They have clothes, gifts,…read morejewelry, home goods, and more.

My favorite place on earth. No not because I'm an artist here but because it's lovely. All of my…read morefellow Artisans are nice and welcoming. All of my fellow Artisans are very talented. We have to be juried. There is a beautiful mix of art from hand embroidery(me) to paintings to glass work to clothing. Definitely worth the trip if you are up here in the area with the holidays approaching. You will meet an artist, see some beautiful things and be able to find the perfect gift for your perfect someone.

This art gallery is definitely worth the trip! It is an artist co-op featuring the work of local…read moreartists and crafters. Many of the artists use local materials in their work, often referencing the surrounding NY/VT area through the paintings, wood, basketry materials, photography, and other forms. There are on going exhibits in the small gallery in the back which features regularly updated shows from area artists, co op members, and crafters. Just a stroll through the shop is inspiring and worth the trip. They also have an online shop which allows you to see samplings of the work available. I highly recommend it!

I was in Vermont for a wedding and decided to walk around the village of Wilmington. The town is…read morequaint and has all the charm you would expect in a small Vermont hamlet. What I didn't expect was a top-notch consignment store, but The Fashion Plate is just that! The interior is quirky as the store is in a historic colonial home, but that made the shopping experience all the more unique and fun. The prices are very reasonable and there is a wide-range from designer to accessible, every day pieces. There are also clothes and accessories for men, children, pets, and the home. The staff were friendly and welcoming, but they also gave me the space to browse without feeling pressured to buy, which for me is a major plus. I spent about 45 minutes browsing and trying on items so I would suggest giving yourself time to really explore the entire store--as one reviewer noted there is a lot to see (but I did not think this was an issue--more treasures to find!). My haul from the Fashion Plate included a vintage Chanel necklace, Chanel cashmere gloves (odd buy in July but winter is coming--haha), Lanvin ballet flats, deadstock Gucci blooms purse, Chanel wedges (I ended up wearing these to the wedding), a Henri Bendel backpack, a cool painting, and a pair of Chanel cambon ballet flats. They only stock authentic items (they explained their rigorous authentication process) and I appreciate that commitment to not selling replica goods. There was so much more to tempt me! I will certainly be back to shop this fun boutique.

Famous last words... "I'm just going to stop in Wilmington to get syrup."…read more Three dresses, two skirts, one top and $132 later ($135 if you count the $3 ATM fee from the liquor store across the street. Cash only folks)... turns out going to Wilmington for syrup is a lot like going to Target for toothpaste. Who knew such a fashion mecca could exist on the outskirts of a forest? Seriously, the owner's buying game is on point. I think I walked into the dressing room with at least 40 items. None of which would be useful for a weekend of camping. But all of which were great brands, new or basically new, ridiculously cute and so reasonably priced. But don't worry. I also got my syrup. Let's hope I don't spill it on all my new fashion finds.

Kelly was great to deal with. Helpful in telling the story of the antiques and art she was selling…read more Prices are very fair. We will visit again.

This is a great example of a local bookstore that is doing it right! This was one of several places…read morewe wondered into during our visit to this little downtown section. You could spend quite a few hours jumping from place to place. Any book lovers doing so should stop in here! They had a huge variety of genres including a second story with additional genres of books. While my wife is definitely the bigger reader out of us two, I did think it had a lot of newer releases as well as plenty of classics if that's more your style. It is set up in a well organized manner and when my wife checked out with her book selection the worker was friendly. This was also evident by some other interactions we saw them have with other patrons locating specific books. They instantly knew where to grab the book they were looking for. Showed they were knowledgeable of the store. My wife almost ended up with two books but in the end only grabbed one, but I am sure if we stayed longer we would have grabbed more. Worth checking out if you are nearby!

Utterly obsessed with this precious, well stocked downtown bookstore. From the minute we walked in…read morethe door and were treated to the unmistakable smell of BOOKS, we were in heaven!! For a relatively small space, they pack in a bit of everything! Kind, helpful staff and just an overall wonderful experience.